"It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it," could have been the mantra of Arkansas Tech football coach Steve Mullins these last two weeks.

After hitting a mid-season skid that ended Tech's conference championship and national playoff hopes, the Wonder Boys (5-3, 3-3 GSC) have won two straight.

Neither was a thing of beauty, but after three straight losses, any win looks good.

Mullins was proud of his defense following a 7-6 win over then-No. 25 Henderson State on Oct. 14. With Tech's offense struggling to a season-low 195 yards, the defense held the Reddies to just two field goals.

Fast forward a week, and the coach said he was equally disappointed with the unit following Saturday's 55-35 victory at Ouachita Baptist.

Tech's defense gave up 573 yards to a Tiger offense that was averaging just 280.3. OBU quarterback Lance Parker passed for 478 yards and two touchdowns.

Mullins said the performance was the result of several factors - matchups, Parker's hot hand and defensive breakdowns, to name a few.

"They would run a route, and we would have it covered perfectly," Mullins said. "The next time, we act like we've never seen the route before."

Fortunately for Tech, the Wonder Boy offense was able to take out a month's worth of frustration on OBU's struggling defense. Led by sophomore quarterback Cole Barthel, Tech finished with 581 yards, its highest offensive output since 1996.

Barthel completed 25 of 30 passes for 321 yards and a school record-tying five touchdowns with no interceptions.

"Cole had an excellent day throwing the ball," Mullins said. "He had time to throw, the offensive line gave him protection, and the receivers, for the most part, caught everything that was catchable."

Barthel's five touchdowns went to four different receivers - two to Mark Caldwell and once each to Justin McHutcheon, Chris Gunter and Bubba Noakes.

It was the first collegiate touchdown for Noakes, a redshirt freshman from Ola who became something of a prep legend as a quarterback for the Mustangs.

Noakes is still learning the receiver position at Tech, but Mullins was pleased with the freshman's 31-yard scoring grab against the Tigers.

"Cole threw it to the only place it could go, and Bubba made a tremendous catch," Mullins said.

Tech's ground game also came roaring back to life Saturday after cracking the 100-yard mark just once in the previous four games. The Wonder Boys rushed for 208 yards against the Tigers, led by R.J. Vanhook's 12 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown.

And Tech's defense, despite its struggles, made plays when it had to, coming up with four big turnovers.

Cornerback Jason Lovingshimer intercepted a pass inside the Tech 15 to end a promising OBU drive late in the first quarter, and linebacker Zach Noel forced a fumble early in the second.

Cornerback Jonathan Webster pulled a Lovingshimer in the third quarter when he intercepted a pass inside 20 less than a minute after a fumble gave Ouachita possession at the Tech 44.

But perhaps the most critical turnover came early in the fourth quarter with the Wonder Boys leading 41-28.

The Tigers were driving with a chance to trim the lead to single digits when OBU running back Willie Hopson fumbled at the Tech 5-yard line. Linebacker Anthony Robinson scooped up the ball and returned it all the way to the Ouachita 25.

A penalty moved the ball back 10 yards, but that didn't stop the Wonder Boys from taking advantage. A 5-yard touchdown run by Shawn O'Connor capped the ensuing drive and gave Tech a 48-28 lead with 12:38 remaining.

The Tigers never got closer than 20 the rest of the way.

"It went from a six-point difference to a 20-point difference," Mullins said. "That makes all the difference in the world."

Up next: Southern Arkansas

Tech has just four days to prepare for Southern Arkansas (2-6, 1-5), the price the the Wonder Boys pay for a little exposure.

The game, scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday in Magnolia, is the GSC's game of the week and will be televised on Suddenlink channels 2 and 119 in Russellville.

It could turn out to be a momentous occasion for Tech. The Wonder Boys can secure a winning season and the program's 500th all-time victory in one fell swoop.

But first they'll have to find an answer for SAU's wishbone attack, which is dangerous because it's so unfamiliar - few teams still run the wishbone.

"With four days to prepare for it, that makes it twice as bad," Mullins said.

The Muleriders are very aggressive on defense, Mullins said, choosing to play man coverage and pressure with their linebackers on almost every snap.

"Basically," Mullins said, "what they're asking you is, 'Are your wide receivers better than our defensive backs, and is your quarterback going to have time to throw the ball?'"